Welcome to the Nightmare
by twilight eyes 8120
Summary: Seto Kaiba goes into hiding, unknown to him, Serenity and Tea stow away. Now, instead of sitting idle, he breaks down defenses and romances both girls. Ultimately, he is trapped by one. Tea x Seto x Serenity
1. Default Chapter

**A/N:** I am **_SLOWLY_** going to edit this story. It is really in desperate need of rewriting, but I have no time. So, I will do my best with the few brain cells I have available for this task. If you can muddle through the earlier work...I promise **CHAPTER 8** gets worlds better. Hang in there with me because I now have ideas and this story should get very interesting!

I still don't own Yu-gi-oh, though I wish I did own Seto Kaiba...a girl is allowed to dream right?

**Here are a few details:**

**Seto Kaiba:** 23 years old...blah blah blah you know him...nothing new.

**Tea:** 22, reporter for the local paper looking for her big break

**Serenity:** 20, photographer for the same paper Tea works at

I don't know how much need I'll have for the other characters. I'll see how it goes.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Teá casually flipped through her Rolodex. She knew she had to come up with a killer story in order to impress her pain in the ass editor. Where to begin was a complete mystery. The last story she wrote had been rejected under the guise of, _who really wants to read about a dance class_? Sighing heavily, she continued to chew on the eraser of her gnawed pencil.

A newspaper on her desk featured a picture of Seto Kaiba from the Battle City archives. She glanced at it and quickly skimmed the headline.

**CEO Stands Accused of Fraud**

That was something interesting. Reading the article through she began to smile.

So, the great Seto Kaiba had stolen someone else's idea for a game. No comment had been made by him. Was he avoiding the press? Seto Kaiba was always the first to offer up lame press conferences. He must be trying to hide something. Possibly her association with him could come in handy now...

There was an actual chance he could go to prison, under the laws of copyright infringement. This was too good to be true! If she could get something out of him it would amount to the break she was looking for!

Grabbing the phone she quickly hit the numbers for the photography department extension. She would want some pictures to go along with her scoop. Luckily Serenity was working. She was the personwho picked up the ringing phone.

"You want to help out a friend?" Teá asked casually.

"How?" Asked a skeptical Serenity. The last time she had 'helped'Teá out, she was forced to accompany the nerd part of a double date. What a disaster that had been. It was the last time she would do something for a friend. Cringing, she recalled Weevil trying to hold her hand-yuk!Honestly, she should have had the better guy because everyone knewTeá only did it to get Yami jealous.

"I need you to come with me and take some pictures of an interview I'm going to have with a certain CEO." She absently twirled a lock of hair around her finger. She had no idea _how_ she would land the interview, only that she _would. _Serenity didn't need to know the how yet, in fact,Teá smiled, she would wing it all! It would be an adventure.

"You don't mean Seto Kaiba do you?" Serenity asked with a groan. She had met him only a few times, but she knew the cold hearted CEO was annoying. He was driven and usually mean. She didn't like him at all.

"Do you know another?"Teá sighed. "Just grab a camera and let's go."

Serenity knew she would do a lot of regretting later on. Teá's insane schemes usually led to tragic consequences, only this time she had no intention of sitting near Weevil...

* * *

The two girls drove to Kaiba Corp. headquarters, but were denied entrance. WhenTeá tried to explain she was a friend of the CEO she was promptly kicked out. Kaiba had no friends--it was an obvious lie. 

"What now?" Serenity lamented, she had way too much work todo at the office. This was starting to look like a wild goose chase and she wasn't amused or happy about it.

"Where else would Kaiba go?"Teá thought out loud. "Maybe we should try his mansion."

"You think it'll be less guarded there? Personally, I thinkit will be worse, especially with the press and the constant drove of duelists trying to compete against him...oh...and then there are the girls who sappily fall at his feet and beg for autographs..."

Serenity snickered whenTeá yelled 'enough'!

"Do you have any ideas?"Teá gave a giggling Serenity a scolding look.

"The arcade?" Serenity suggested hesitantly.

"Never, it would be too public and he would be hounded."

"Maybe he's going to try to leave by plane, you know, get out of the kitchen if you can't stand the heat type thing."The red-headshrugged. This had been Teá's idea not her's.

"You're brilliant!"Teá squealed happily. She turned the car around in a dangerous maneuver, nearly taking out several lanes of traffic in order to make her horrendous u-turn. She stepped on the gas and sped off.

"Do you know where you're going?" Serenity shrieked at the stunt man moves she was being forced to endure. Her hands gripped at the dashboard, knuckles turning white.

"Yes, to interview Kaiba! He's leaving and thanks to you I know how!"

"But...but...the airport is the other way!" Serenity tried to steady herself as the car approached 80.

"He's not taking a plane, that would be too obvious...we're heading for the marina."

* * *

Teá cautiously parking out of the way in order not to arouse suspicion. They began surveying the boats. Serenity had a small digital camera at her disposal. She knew a large camera would have been way too conspicious for this task. They circled their way around the parking lot and scanned the boats that were tied to the docks. 

Serenity asked her counter-partif she knew which boat was his. The only thing Teá knew for sure was the boat had to be huge. Seto Kaiba never did anything on a small scale. They abandoned the small docks and approached the large yachts. She thought of the blimp, and how decadent it was. This would be a pleasure ship of monstorous proportion.

Yachts were attached to much larger docks, not the floating ones for the small pleasure cruisers. Slowly, they made their way around obstacles and stayed invisible to the few people that happened to be there.Teá was glad that there was no press to be found, nor were there duelists or girls. Not too many people knew about theship. The only reason sheknew of its existence was through Mokuba. The boy had told Yugi one day how he missed taking rides on it with his big brother, but Seto was busy andMokuba (as always) understood.

Now she just had to figure out which one of the oversized toys was his. They were all quite impressive.

"Maybe the name will give it away. Knowing him it will be something like 'Blue Eyes White Boat'." Serenity suggested.

Teálaughed at the absurd name, but Serenity did have a point, that would be the way to figure out which one was his. What would Kaiba name a boat? Teá's eyes opened wide in excitement, a smile crept across her lips...she had found it!

"It's that one," She pointedly showed Serenity. "The Seahorse."

"Are you sure?" She asked skeptically. "Why would he name it that and not 'Dragon-something'?"

"Seto's name stands for 'Seahorse' which ties in with the dragon thing." She grabbed Serenity's wrist and started for the boat. "Just trust me."

Serenity rolled her eyes heavenward, those were the worst famous last words. Just what was she getting herself into?

They looked at theship while they hid behind a closed concession stand. There was no activity in front of it. A man had just walked down the gangplank and off into the parking lot somewhere. If there had been a lot of activity, she realized, suspicion would have been raised. Slowly the two girls made their way to the dock. They walked down past lots of multi-million dollarvessels as if they were just sightseeing. If they acted suspicious they would be detected immediately.

"Well, here goes nothing,"Teá whispered as she dragged a less than willing Serenity behind her and onto the ship.

They were very quiet as they made their way into a lush living room. She could hear the soft hum of the engines being warmed up. Where the heck was Kaiba, she was determined to get this stupid interview no matter what the cost.

"I think we're in the right place," Serenity whispered as she held up a picture of Mokuba.

"Just where the heck is Kaiba?"Teá scowled.

"If he isn't here we better get off before this thing starts moving. We could be in all sorts of trouble if we're caught breaking and entering." She put the picture down.

"Are you kidding? We aren't leaving until I have the story that will make my career. What about you? Don't you want the picture that will make you famous?"Teá looked around the ornate room and moved into the dining area.

"Yeah, my mug shot is sure to be famous...for breaking and entering on Seto Kaiba's yacht..." She was starting to get very nervous. "Can we just go?"

Teáfrowned at her, "If you want to go then go, but I'm staying."

Serenity argued in her own mind over whether or not she should leave, but then decided she couldn't leave her best friend to face that monster alone.

"I'll stay."

"We should pick a place to hide. Once Kaiba comes on board we can spring out at him. We'll get a few choice comments, a picture or two and then be on our way."

"You're acting as if he'll be cooperative! When has he ever been obliging?" Serenity kept her voice low but managed to get her anger across well.

"Come on,"Teá led the way to stairs that went down. They went in the second door they saw, it was a bedroom.

"How will we hear him if we close the door?" Serenity raised an eyebrow, growing less and less happy with this situation.

"We're right below the entrance, we can look out the porthole and I'm sure he'll come in screaming and firing someone."

They sat and waited to spring their trap on an unsuspecting CEO.

**A/N: **I'm happier with it...not thrilled, but hopefully I rid it of all the obvious problems.


	2. Rough Waters Ahead

**A/N:** Don't own Yu-gi-oh…

Chapter 2

"I think we're moving Tea," Serenity whispered nervously.

"Of course we aren't moving. Kaiba isn't on board yet. Do you honestly think his ship would set sail without him onboard?" Tea replied nervously. She could feel the tell-tale hum of the engines changing.

"What if he's on this ship somewhere, maybe he's hiding and now he'll come out because we've left the dock." Serenity attempted to stand and look out the window. Tea grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her back down.

"Are you crazy! What if someone sees you look out?" Tea growled.

"If we are moving we have to tell them we have to be let off. I'm not going on some crazy boat ride with Seto Kaiba!" She slapped Tea's hand away and attempted to stand again.

"Think about it Serenity, if we're found out we're stow-aways we're in trouble. We'll just remain hidden until we dock and then we'll sneak off the boat." Tea suggested, her hand firmly gripping Serenity's shirt once again.

"Don't you think we'll be in less trouble if we simply come out of hiding?"

"They'll call the police and we'll be arrested for trespassing. I, for one, don't want to be arrested." Tea sat at the edge of the bed.

"Fine!" Serenity spat through clenched teeth, "But once we stop we get off this stupid boat and get the hell away from Kaiba."

"No problem, once we stop." _And I get my story…_

The girls sat in the room for over an hour, looking out the porthole there was no land to be seen. They had no idea where they were headed or how long it would take. Serenity continued to pace the floor while Tea watched out the window, hoping to see a landmass…somewhere.

"Where do you think we're heading?" Serenity finally broke the silence.

"I have no idea, but my guess is somewhere that won't extradite a certain CEO."

"How do we even know he's on the ship? I haven't heard him yelling, isn't that his trademark? We are seriously screwed!" Serenity was now hysterical. Tea grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently trying to gain her attention.

"Keep your voice down," she hissed. "They don't even know we're on the ship, but your ranting will gain us unwanted attention for sure!"

Just then the door swung open. The two girls were caught in the proverbial 'headlights'. Their eyes immediately went to the figure standing in the doorway, then back to each other.

"I said you were too loud." Tea griped as they were led from the room up the stairs to the living room.

"Have a seat," the man in the suit instructed the girls. They sat, not wanting to get in any more trouble than they already were.

They sat there in silence for a while, until Tea finally worked up the courage to ask what was going on.

"Are you taking us back to Domino?" She asked tentatively.

"Hardly, we aren't even near Domino anymore." The man answered her with an evil chuckle. He then left the two in the room, alone.

"Well, look at the bright side, at least we aren't stuck in that room anymore." Tea tried to sound positive.

"Yeah, this is sooo much better," Serenity answered with noted sarcasm.

Tea got up and walked over to the doorway that the man had left through. She took a few small steps into the adjoining room. Maybe she could ask the guy where they were headed. She took a few more steps then nearly jumped out of her skin when Serenity laid her hand on Tea's arm. Serenity jumped because Tea jumped and the two girls exchanged dirty looks. Tea walked forward with Serenity close behind, she was determined to find the man again.

They made their way through the ship but weren't sure where they were going. Funny thing was, there really was no way of escaping. They were trapped at sea with a crew of unknown men. Tea felt a bit guilty because she had led Serenity on this stupid chase. Yes, she needed to jump start her career, but what price would that now cost?

"Just where do you two think you're heading?" They recognized the voice immediately, but didn't run…where would they run?

"I demand to know where we're being taken," Tea stated with authority. "This is kidnapping you know!" She tried to sound sure of herself, but the man saw right through her and just smirked at her efforts.

"A kidnapping occurs when a person is taken against their will, I do believe that you entered this vessel of your own free will. Am I incorrect with that? Did someone forcibly drag you on this ship?" His voice was stern, but there was amusement there too.

"Not exactly, but we should be let off the ship as soon as we hit land." Tea's voice was firm with her demand.

"That's for my boss to decide, I have no problem with releasing you when we hit land." He gave a small laugh as if he knew something she didn't. Tea caught the meaning, but thankfully, Serenity didn't. She wondered if they were going to be abandoned on the first desert island they came across.

"Where is your boss?"

"He's due to arrive at any time now." The man started to walk away from them, but then turned. "Stay in the living room, I'm sure Mr. Kaiba will want to speak with you both when he arrives."

They sat on the couch. Tea couldn't imagine how Kaiba would 'arrive' on the ship. Was there another ship that was bringing him? She knew he wasn't onboard. What was going on? Just then she heard the sound of a helicopter, her heart lurched, she finally got it. He was arriving by helicopter. Great, he was now here. Suddenly she didn't want the interview, she just wanted to be home with her friends. Least of all she wanted Serenity away from this. It had been her own stupidity that got her into this mess it was so unfair that she had dragged Serenity along.

"I'm so sorry Serenity," she whispered as they sat and waited for Kaiba to storm in.

"Don't be," she smiled and grasped Tea's hand. "I could have said no at any point and I didn't. I wanted the picture as much as you wanted your story."

They looked at each other for a brief instant, right before the door slammed open and hurricane Kaiba blew in.

"So to what do I owe a visit from half the geek squad? I knew your antics were ridiculous all along, but I never thought you would resort to illegal entry." His eyes were glowing with fury even though his tone was just frigid. Both girls knew he was dangerous and that he was hiding something else.

"I'm sorry this happened Kaiba," Tea stood up. "If you would just let us off we'll go without a fuss."

"I make the demands now Gardner," his eyes narrowed on her, his hand balling into fists. "Why the hell would you sneak aboard my ship? How the hell did you know about it and how did you know I would be on it?"

"Is this an interrogation Seto Kaiba? Because I have a few questions for you as well." Her blues eyes blazed back at his. Serenity sank back into the chair she was in. It was like clash of the egos and she wanted no part of their tempers.

"I ask the question-this is MY ship!"

"I'm being held captive so I think I have the right…"

"Captive!" He bellowed, not allowing her to finish her thoughts. "You snuck onto this ship, no one lured you here or pulled you aboard against your will. I could have you arrested for breaking and entering. In fact, give me one good reason why I shouldn't."

"Because if you alert the cops to us then you lead them to you! You're running from the law I'm sure you won't invite them to your doorstep, no matter how arrogant you are I know you aren't stupid." She folded her arms across her chest. She had won in her book.

"Very well," he knew she had him. "However, now that you know where I am I can't let either of you go." He sneered at her.

"We have no idea where you're going!" Serenity cried out, she had no intention of staying with the man.

"You know I'm on this ship, if I let you go you'll run straight to the authorities and tell them my whereabouts, you know a bit too much to let you leave." His voice was cold. He had an evil glint in his eyes. Serenity sank back into the couch.

"We don't know your destination Kaiba, besides we can be discreet."

"I know you're a reporter Gardner, since when has the press been awarded for 'discreetness'?" He turned away from them and started to leave the room.

"Is that it Kaiba? End of discussion?" Tea spat at his back. She wanted to smack him really hard but didn't relish a cold swim at the moment.

"It is," he turned and gave her a smirk. "Try not to break anything."

With that he was gone. Tea had no idea what to do now. It didn't look like they were going anywhere soon. No, correction, they were going somewhere, but that somewhere wasn't home. She looked at Serenity, who was very near tears, and sighed. The poor girl had followed again and was in trouble again too. Tea had finally started to not feel so bad about the 'Weevil incident' now she had the 'Kaiba incident' to take its place.

She wondered, idly, if she would get a story from him. Maybe she should take notes on all of their conversations. Then again, Kaiba was a man of very few words.

_Great now you're being taken to heaven knows where with that demon. You did all of this for a story that was doomed, at best, why did you think Kaiba would grant you an interview! He detests everyone in his so-called 'geek squad'. Poor Serenity, I feel the worst about that. I should have done this alone now she gets to suffer along with me._

**A/N:** So what do you think? Who should Kaiba end up with? Hmmm… I'm quite curious to know what you're all thinking so please read and review…please…thanks!


	3. Fish Food

A/N: I don't own Yu-gi-oh or any of its characters

Chapter 3

Tea and Serenity were brought food, though Tea believed that had more to do with Kaiba's staff than Kaiba. The two girls sat in the living room waiting for the illustrious CEO to make another grand appearance, but it didn't happen. Hours passed and Serenity finally went into one of the bedrooms and nodded off to sleep. Tea tried to sleep as well, but could only nap here and there. The rising sun found her wandering the upper deck.

The sudden cut of the engine and the eerie silence that followed jerked her from her trance. She had been going over and over the events of the day trying to figure out where she went wrong. Boarding the ship was a mistake, not getting off was bigger, and dragging Serenity was the biggest. What had she done?

"Well, well, well have you decided to get some air?" Kaiba's voice forced her to turn and face him. He towered over her, his cold blue eyes savaging her. The confrontation between her and this man now seemed unavoidable and its inevitability restored some of Tea's failing courage. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of cowering before him. Defiantly she lifted her small, pale face so that she could meet his frigid gaze squarely. The harsh tone of his voice almost made her lose her resolve.

"What the hell are you actually doing on my boat? Did that dried up old snoop of an editor put you up to this?"

To keep her lips from trembling she constricted her mouth. Kaiba reached out and grabbed her arm. The steel grip began to tighten as he waited for her response until her arm finally went numb.

"I'm warning you, this little game of yours is very foolish. I want some answers and I want them now. Who put you up to this? Do they know where you are? There is no one out here in the middle of the ocean to enforce rules and I'm a very angry and impatient man."

She began to realize how right he was. Defying him was useless. Telling him why she was here wouldn't be giving away anything that he didn't already know. He had put two and two together quite easily.

"I've come here on my own, I wanted to break this story and boost my credibility at the paper. No one knows where we are." Though she was determined not to show weakness her eyes darted away. "I figured you wouldn't stay around to be formally arrested and that air and car were the most noticeable way to go. I remember Mokuba talking about a boat and figured you would use that mode of transportation. I didn't know the name, but knew about the Seahorse and dragon connection."

The information did nothing to cool Kaiba's temper. "I'm surprised you didn't go to your boss and give him all of your information. Then he could have sent in someone who knew what they were doing. A woman can't do this kind of dirty work and get away with it."

"I'm perfectly capable of doing undercover work! Don't insult my sex by claiming a woman can't do this job just as well, if not better, than a man." She shot back. This was just bad luck and bad timing. Who knew he wasn't on the ship when they boarded? Who knew he would arrive by helicopter? Who did that?

"You're doing a great job," he showed his teeth, but wasn't smiling. "If I was the ruthless criminal the papers have been painting me you would be in a heap of trouble. What's to keep me from tossing you overboard with your little partner in crime?" He jerked her arm for emphasis.

She flinched, but her temper reemerged quickly. "You are a lot of things Seto Kaiba, but a murderer isn't one of them."

"That's right," he snarled at her. "I'm a real sweetheart of a guy. So much so that I'm taking you and your friend on vacation." He released her arm. She resisted the urge to rub feeling back into it.

"What do you mean 'vacation'? I was told we would be let out at the first port." She demanded as she watched him, distrustfully, as he circled her. If only she could push him overboard, but what good would that do? His staff would surely pull him back onboard and then he'd be madder than ever. She sighed and rolled her eyes heavenward, how had she gotten in so deep?

"I meant exactly what I said," he told her with a taunting grin. "I intend to disappear for a couple of weeks."

"To avoid interrogation from the DA?" She supplied with a keen suspicion.

He was unmoved by her accusing tone. "Exactly. I don't intend to talk until I'm good and ready. I'll go on my own terms. I 'd expected to be alone on this retreat." He purred with male satisfaction, "But now it seems I'll have company."

Tea's eyes slitted to points of fizzing blue fury. It was too much. He had her trapped on this boat, probably ruined her career and now he was taunting her about this kidnapping. Anger gathered like a tight knot in her chest and then surged upwards so that her ears burned.

"We're not going anywhere with you! Just who the hell do you think you are?"

He smirked, "From here on out you will do exactly what I say."

She took a step backwards, "Criminal!"

"Sticks and stones…"

"Kidnapper!" She took another step back so that the back of her legs hit the bench at the back of the ship.

He shot back coolly, "As to the first count you're playing judge and jury. As for the second you're a stowaway remember?"

He was clearly unbalanced. Tea told herself as she gripped onto one of the cushions adorning the bench. He was obviously on some sick power trip and he actually thought he could take her and Serenity to God knows where. Heaven only knew what he had in mind once they got there.

He took an insolent step forward and reached a hand out to grab her shoulder. Unthinking, Tea reacted. With a quick snap of the wrist she hurled the cushion at him with all the fury she could muster. At that point there was nothing on her mind but rising panic mixed with outrage, but as soon as her fingers released the cushion, she knew she had made a mistake. Though Kaiba fielded the missile the look on his face was pure fury.

"You little fool! You deserve exactly what you're about to get!"

And what was that? Tea's panic took over completely. Turning blindly, she jumped up on the bench and stumbled forward. Her calf abruptly collided with a wire shroud. The unforeseen impact knocked her off balance.

"Oh no!" She managed to shout as her arms flailed wildly. There was no hope of preventing the ensuing fall. She was in midair for what seemed like forever and then hit the water with a painful splat that knocked the wind out of her lungs. She became, painfully, aware of the presence around her. It was just her luck to fall into a swarm of jellyfish, the wriggling, stinging nettles assaulted her immediately.

Once upon a time, when she was younger. She'd encountered the monsters on an innocent swim. She'd been badly stung on that occasion and that experience gave her an unreasoning fear of the creatures. That terror was magnified now.

She began to struggle with her arms and legs and shriek hysterically as she felt the needlelike assaults. Her brain, paralyzed with hysteria, caused her to forget how to swim and she sank, again, beneath the surface.

At first Kaiba watched the performance with a gleam of satisfaction. But his amusement switched to concern when he noticed the jellyfish and her reaction to them. She deserved a good dunking, but she didn't deserve to be seriously hurt. As she went down for the second time he stripped off his trench coat and dove over the side. In three efficient strokes he reached her just as she bobbed up, spitting and choking.

Tea felt a strong arm slide around her, beneath her breasts and gave another watery scream.

"Stop struggling and relax," he commanded impatiently. With one swift motion he stretched her out so that she was floating on top of him. He then began to move back to the boat. One arm sliced backwards through the water while the other pinned her back against his chest. It was a standard lifesaving procedure, some part of her brain dimly registered, but his arm in intimate contact with her breasts did nothing to encourage relaxation. She was stung, badly frightened, and her teeth were chattering with shock.

When they reached the boat his crew were there to assist the two back on board. Once they were safely back onboard he towered over her once again. A worried look crossed his features momentarily.

"Are you hurt?" The tone of his voice showed his concern along with impatience.

"The nettles," she muttered weakly, turning her head away.

"I know what to do about those," He started to lead her away.

Too weak to protest she stumbled behind him through the men who had gathered and watched her humiliation. She coughed up another mouthful a brine as the door shut behind them.

"First you have to get out of your clothes," Kaiba told her as he tossed a large fluffy towel in her direction.

She froze, "I'm not undressing for you."

"I'm not about to ravish you at the moment. You're hardly a bathing beauty." He added callously. Tea knew what she must look like at the moment and that knowledge didn't improve her humor.

Kaiba turned away from her and stripped off his own sopping shirt and dropped it on the table in a wet heap. He then ran a hand through his dark hair to push it out of his eyes. The lean expanse of muscular torso he'd revealed only increased Tea's disquiet.

He disappeared into another room. She took that opportunity to strip out of her own clothes. He returned a few minutes later with a small bowl. She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Meat tenderizer. The nettles emit a protein poison, the tenderizer breaks it down. Mokuba seems to attract jellyfish stings quite often."

He applied the soothing paste over her sensitive skin. Kaiba's eyes traced the ugly red welts marring her ivory skin.

"This will work better if you lie down." He suggested dryly.

She skeptically climbed onto the couch carefully so as to not disturb the precariousness of the towel.

"That's right, with your hands folded so primly. I feel like I'm giving you last rites." He mumbled as he moved to her side.

"A few minutes ago you acted like you would appreciate seeing me dead, she pointed out in a strangled voice as she tried to avert her eyes from his bare chest.

You have some lessons to learn Gardner, but I woud like to teach them to you when you're alive and not under a towel."

Tea tried to absorb the meaning of his statement while her cheeks burned with embarassment. What he had said made her even more conscious of his touch. His touch was quite gentle as the pain was driven from her wounds, but wherever he touched her new trails of a very different fire began to lick along her nerve paths. She also realized that he wasn't entirely indifferent to her. He had insulted her earlier, but the way his hands touched her told a very different story. The expression in his midnight blue eyes underlined that appeal.

**A/N:** Ok, now read and review guys! You're equally divided on who should get Seto so I guess I'll have to decide… You won't know for a while so keep reading and reviewing. Thanks!


	4. A Terrifying Realization

**A/N:** I don't own Yu-gi-oh...I think it's cruel I have to keep stating what doesn't belong to me over and over...

**Chapter 4**

Serenity woke to discover she was alone in the room. Tea must have left her a while ago, if she had even gone to bed. The second bed in the room was neatly made and didn't look slept in. Serenity stretched and yawned, the clock read 10:30. She had slept in. Though she dreaded running into Kaiba she knew she had to leave the room eventually and her stomach had already determined it was time. After a quick trip to the bathroom and a miserable attempt at pulling herself together she left the safety of her room in search of breakfast.

She wearily rounded the corner and walked up the short flight of stairs that led to the living room. The kitchen, she assumed, was right off the living room. She wandered room to room for a few minutes then zeroed in on the kitchen. She walked in and was confronted by a rather annoyed worker.

"Can I help you?" The man asked her gruffly. The question wasn't meant to help it was meant to intimidate her. She hated it here.

"I-I was looking for…for something…" She blushed and hung her head. "I just wanted something to eat. Please."

"You missed breakfast," he said with impatience. "You'll have to wait for lunch. This isn't a pleasure cruise. If you sleep through breakfast, you miss breakfast."

She turned to leave the kitchen with a miserable knot in her belly. She noticed a bowl of fruit and grabbed an apple, hiding it in front of her as she pushed through the door leading back into the living room. The apple was ok, but it just reminded her how hungry she really was. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday and that was just a few bites of the meal she was served here. She hardly touched it, fearing Kaiba might have laced it with some drug so he could toss them, unconscious, overboard last night. She wanted to go home and be with Joey. Never again would Tea talk her into doing anything.

Idly wondering where Tea was she got up and threw out the core of her apple. It was time to track down the brown haired girl who's ambition had gotten them kidnapped. Out on the deck she realized that they were stopped and anchored. She looked around at the several islands that were around them. Just where in the hell were they? She walked over to the railing and looked down at the water.

"Not planning to go over are you?" A snide Kaiba asked, making her jump before she turned quickly to face him.

"Not unless you decided to throw me over." She could have smacked herself for giving him ideas. "Where is Tea?"

"Throw you over huh?" He smirked. "Well, I'm not going swimming twice today, if you go over you're on your own."

She noticed his slightly damp hair. "What do you mean twice?"

"Twice, Wheeler, meaning more than once but fewer than three times. How did you manage to get a job if you don't know how to count, then again how much skill does it take to work for that piece of crap some loosely call media?"

"I know how to count Kaiba," she whispered meekly.

He could hear the fear in her voice, Tea didn't fear him as much as this girl did.

"You don't know how to think though, do you?" He came within inches of her face in an intimidating manor. "If you did you would have never come after me, but here you are cowering like your brother does…the Mutt's sister…"

She wanted to say something, anything, but she couldn't think of anything. He was scary and she decided she didn't like him. No, she didn't like him before they got on the boat, now she hated him.

"Where are we?" She asked timidly in an attempt to change the subject.

"Not that you could profit from that information, we are in an island chain. Before you think of swimming for shore you should know they are deserted." He stood there, coldly looking down on her.

"Why are we here?" She managed.

He smirked at her; she was timid and quite shy. "You'll just have to wait and see why, now won't you?"

"Where is Tea?" She mumbled, trying to look at him, but not able to summon the courage to do so.

"She's safe in my bed." He noticed her eyes grow wide, just the reaction he was hoping for.

"Your-Your bed?" There was no way Tea would sleep with Kaiba. Did he rape her? Was he that big of a monster? Was it possible they were on this boat in the middle of nowhere with a maniac? She gasped at her own imagination, taking a few steps back from this man that emanated pure evil.

She was terrified of him and he found himself enjoying it. Tea, on the other hand, wasn't as intimidated. She was slightly scared, but this was genuine terror.

"Why is she in your b-b-bed?"

"Would you care for me to show you what I did to her there?" He asked, laughing on the inside how innocent it all was but how he was making it all seem so guilty. He nearly smiled at the thought of showing Wheeler the bottle of meat tenderizer, but he figured he'd play with her until he was bored.

"N-n-no thank you. That is, no, sorry I don't want to see, I mean show, I mean know." She sounded like a fool. "No I don't want to."

"Well Wheeler, at the moment you don't need to learn her lesson. I would be careful if I were you though, otherwise you might just end up in her position. On my bed…clad only in a towel…"

She gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. Was Tea ok? Was she alive? What had he done? Was she next? She bumped into the railing. There was no more room to back away from him and she knew he could easily grab her if she decided to start running. She began whispering a short prayer, he snickered at her for that.

"Please leave me alone," she was nearly in tears. She reminded him of a deer caught in the headlights.

"Are you scared Wheeler? You should have thought about that when you became a stowaway. I don't take kindly to intruders. Keep yourself scarce and out of the way and maybe you won't find yourself cast off on one of these desolate islands. Then again, maybe I should put you on one and your friend on another. How would you like that? I don't think you could survive together but apart you'd be doomed." He turned and walked away from her leaving her to her thoughts.

He was petrifying. She would, from now on, avoid him at all costs. The first thing she had to do was find Tea, and then she would be like glue. He was just awful and knowing she was trapped also brought with it the thought that it would only get worse. As the days went by he would get harder to live with. She had to figure something out. If Tea couldn't come up with a plan for escape she sure as hell would. For now, it was in her best interest to practice avoidance. She absently wondered where Kaiba's room was…she had to find Tea and discover what happened.

Tea sat up on the bed, her towel slipping a bit before she grabbed it to her. She searched the room, but she was all alone. What would have happened if her towel had slipped while Kaiba was there? She blushed madly at that thought. His hands exploring her were bad enough, but that was just to soothe her wounds. She bit her lip, it wasn't all that horrible. It was quite surprising that a man who was so cold could be that gentle.

The turning of the knob brought her back from her recollections.

"I see you're awake finally," Kaiba said as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

"Yes I am," she managed. "Thank you for your help."

He looked at her with those malevolent sapphire eyes. He would never admit that the experience wasn't unpleasant.

"Are you in any pain?" He asked as he sat beside her. He was slightly afraid she would have an allergic reaction to the nettles. Thankfully the gelatinous orbs were the common type, nothing fancy like man-o-wars. She would have been in trouble then.

"What exactly did you give me that made me sleep for so long?" She asked as she yawned. Her hand covering her mouth caused her towel to slip a bit and Kaiba's eyes gained a mind of their own as he took in the slight amount of exposed skin. She had a very nice figure, he had to give her that much. He also knew she worked out. When he touched her he could feel the sculpting of her muscles.

"Benadryl. It's an antihistamine. I want you to take it for the next day or two. Mokuba's doctor recommended that after Mokuba encountered nettles. It does make you sleepy." His voice was gruff, but not unpleasant.

His fingers traced one of the welts on her shoulder. He wondered if she would scar, but doubted it. Mokuba never did.

"Do you need more tenderizer?" He asked, hopeful of her answer.

Her eyes searched his. Why was he acting this way towards her? It was almost scary. Then again, she reminded herself, he could turn his emotions on a dime and any second he could turn into confrontational Kaiba. She liked this one better.

"I think I'm ok, but thank you." She shivered at the thought of his hands on her skin again.

"I want you to stay in here for the day and rest." He stood, towering over her now. "Don't think for a minute we've finished our discussion about why you're here. You have a lot to answer for." There, this was the Kaiba she knew. She wondered if he would come back and check on her again.

"I'll have your lunch brought to you." He opened a drawer and tossed a shirt at her. "Put this on. The only people on this ship are men and I sure as hell don't need you giving them any ideas."

With that he was gone, she idly wondered if the click she heard was a lock. She pulled on the shirt and laid back into the pillows, letting the pill take her back to sleep.

Kaiba found Serenity sitting in the living room flipping through a magazine. It was a Duel Monsters one, announcing new cards and giving information on upcoming tournaments. There was little else to do on this boat.

"I've made a decision Wheeler." Kaiba announced. He noted how the girl struggled to keep the magazine from falling. She was very jumpy and he was about to make her life worse…

**A/N:** Oh well…there you have it. Please don't flame me for Serenity's behavior. I can't have both girls defying Kaiba-where would the fun in that be? Please read and review. I'm still trying to develop this story and reviews would help it come along…Thanks!


	5. The Plot Thickens

**A/N:** I do not own Yu-gi-oh, only my plot belongs to me…

Chapter 5 

Serenity curled up on the couch fearing the fast approaching CEO. If he didn't look so evil this wouldn't have been so bad. Once upon a time she thought blue eyes on a man looked amazing, but his were so cold it was frightening. What was he going to do to her now, she wondered. She had spent some time trying to find Tea, but couldn't. Maybe screaming her friend's name at the top of her lungs would produce the manipulator that led her into this ghastly situation. She prayed that she could keep her nerves calm for the assault she was sure would occur next.

"Why do you want to find your friend Wheeler?" He asked smugly, arms crossed and chin up. His gaze was terrifying.

"I want to make sure she's alright. Besides," she continued with her head down and eyes closed, "I'm not comfortable around you. I prefer her company to yours."

She was admitting her weakness and he nearly snickered. She was frightened of him just as her brother was. Her brother always tried to put up a brave front, but Kaiba knew him for the cowering mongrel he was. Gardner wasn't scared of him, she was simply annoyed and desperate to get away. This girl had an illogical terror of him and it was intriguing. The fact that she was the Mutt's sister was also quite fun. When he returned her home she could tell her brother all about the vacation she had taken with Seto Kaiba…his greatest challenger.

"I've decided that the two of you will remain separated during this get-away. I can't have you trying to do anything that puts my where-abouts in jeopardy, now can I?" He looked at her, waiting for a reaction. He didn't have to wait long.

"You can't do that!" She sprung to her feet, not realizing how close he was. She was within inches of him and that made her head spin. "We won't do anything! What can we do? We don't know anything about boats. Please don't do this."

He liked her vulnerability. "Please don't do this Kaiba…please…" Her gaze left him and dropped to the floor. She felt like crying, but wouldn't give him the satisfaction her tears were sure to bring.

He slid a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. He liked how she simpered and begged.

"You should be angry with her. She's the one who roped you into this mess isn't she?" His voice was softer, but his eyes were still disdainful. She wanted to look away, but was caught. Had he moved closer? She fought the urge to turn tail and run.

"I answered the phone." She mumbled. As she averted her eyes for a minute but then quickly looked back at him. She was afraid to look at him, but more afraid to look away.

"What?" He asked not sure of what she was confessing.

"In the photo room…I answered. It's my fault." She then tried to search his icy eyes for some shred of warmth. Was he staring at her mouth?

"You're speaking in riddles Wheeler, spit it out."

"If I hadn't answered her call I wouldn't be here. She didn't make me do anything. I guess I'm as driven as she is." His mouth looked inviting, how could a man that was so cold look so…edible?

"So you're just as stupid as she is?" He asked, trying to ignore the way she was staring at his lips. Just what was she trying to do? Distract him into letting her see her friend? He wouldn't fall into that trap, not when he had set a fairly ingenious one of his own. He had quite a bit of time on his hands while his lawyers tried to sort out his many problems. Unfortunately he couldn't use his laptop or he could be traced so he had created another avenue for his ingenuity. This was going to be very amusing, for him at least.

"We're not stupid, just ambitious." She swallowed hard, her nerves were just about shot.

"I'm not sure about your ambition, but I am certain that you are trapped. I'll try to keep it as interesting for you as possible." He ran his thumb over her lower lip sending chills racing down her spine.

"Don't touch me," she yelped and backed away from the human glacier. He smirked at her retreat, then laughed evilly when her calves connected with the couch catching her off balance making her tumble backwards onto the furniture. Her soft brown eyes showed the terror she was feeling. He left her like that, sprawled on the couch. He wanted her mind to try to wrap around their conversation. He knew her thoughts would do far worse to her than he ever could, or would.

He walked to his room and knocked as he entered. There was Tea sitting in the center of his bed reading a book from the small collection he kept in his room. She looked up at him and waited for him to say something. She was wearing his t-shirt and not much else. Her clothes had been ruined in the salt water. Dry clean only tags weren't just to promote business for dry cleaners she had discovered the hard way. Her outfit was on a hanger looking quite rag-like. He sat on the bed near her. She continued to regard his presence without much interest.

"So," he smirked, "you're finally awake? I trust you are recovering nicely?"

He was being…nice. That was such an odd synonym for Seto Kaiba. She had no idea why he was being hospitable to her, but she sure as hell didn't want to question her luck. His hand slowly reached out and touched her outstretched leg. "I didn't know you were stung on your leg."

"It didn't hurt much." She whispered as blue eyes met blue.

"You should have told me and I would have taken care of it." His hand slid slowly up the back of her calf inspecting the skin. He then searched her other leg just as delicately. She tried not to tremble at his touch as his fingers lightly grazed her skin, searching out any blemish that might cause her pain.

"Seto Kaiba I'm fine, I assure you." Her mind wanted him to stop, but her body wanted so much more. Thankfully she was a very strong willed person.

"Did you eat your dinner?" He asked looking for the tray he had ordered for her. "Your body is still going to feel a bit ill because of the toxins so I want to make sure you're eating properly."

"Are you a doctor?" She asked mockingly.

"No, but we could pretend if that's what you want." His smirk left her speechless.

"I…I just mean that…that you have a good bed side manner." As soon as the words slipped off her tongue she wanted to yank them back. What the hell was she doing? Complimenting Seto Kaiba on his 'bedside manner'! Was she insane? Delusional? Psychotic? What type of pill had he given her…a lunacy inducing one?

"I don't think I've ever been told that before Gardner. So, you like my bedside manner huh?"

She wanted to rip her tongue out of her mouth and stomp on it. The damn jellyfish had stung the wrong parts, they should have stung her mouth then she wouldn't have felt compelled to put her foot in it. Her thoughts then turned, against her will (of this she was sure) to her rescue. He had been amazing. His arm wrapped around her, intimately, while he pulled them both back to the boat. She couldn't stop looking into his eyes.

"Where is Serenity? I would have thought by now she would have come looking for me." Tea tried to change the subject away from beds and playing doctor.

His eyes darted away and he stood up. She frowned, what had she said that made him angry? He walked over to the window and pulled the curtains open, the room was too dark even for his taste. She smiled at the sunshine, he watched the way her lips curved and licked his in a reflexive action.

"You should take a shower and get rid of the tenderizer and the salt." He walked over to a door and opened it. She leaned over and looked through the door, curious as to what he was showing her. "It's my own private bath." She smiled as she stood up from the bed. Up until now she had been using the one outside of his room. She didn't want to snoop around and get caught. More trouble was not necessary at this moment.

She walked over to him and looked in the room. It had a nice size tub and a separate shower stall, a sink and a toilet. The room was bathed with sunshine. She looked out the window that had a magnificent view of the ocean.

"Where are the curtains?" She asked, feeling a bit shy.

"You don't feel like giving the dolphins a show?" He smirked. She realized how stupid she must look. Who would be able to look in that window? A passing ship? The fish?

"This is really nice, thank you." She said as she entered the room, he was already closing the door. She walked over to the door and locked it, just in case. The water felt wonderful against her sore skin. Thankfully it only felt slightly sunburned where the nettles had made contact. He had been so thorough with the tenderizer, that's probably what had saved her from a world of hurting. Then again, he was the reason she ended up overboard. If he hadn't tried to…what, talk to her? He was the enemy she constantly had to remind herself. After the invigorating shower she slipped into the fluffy robe that had been hanging on a hook. She needed to find something else to wear and then she had to see Serenity.

When she came out of the bathroom she noticed Kaiba standing, looking out of the cabin's window. She gasped at his presence.

"Are you decent?" He asked with his back to her. Was he being gallant?

"I'm wearing your robe, I hope that's ok." He turned to look at her. Her wet hair was hanging down on her shoulders and a soft tinge of pink lit her cheeks. She looked like the picture of health and he felt himself sigh in relief. It would have been a major problem if she had an allergic reaction to the toxins, but she didn't and now she looked much better.

"I left you another shirt and a pair of shorts," he motioned towards the bed. "There is elastic in the waist, they're Mokuba's. I think they should fit you."

"Thank you. Um, Kaiba, can I see Serenity now?" She asked quietly, not wanting to aggravate him.

"I wish you could but unfortunately she's asked not to see you."

A/N: Well guys? Do any of you have a clue where this is going? I'd love to hear your ideas…please review! Thanks...


	6. Hook Lie and Sink Them

A/N: Don't own Yu-gi-oh and I'm just a fan of Dean Koontz don't own his works either...

**Chapter 6**

"What do you mean she doesn't want to see me?" Tea gasped as she approached Kaiba. She had to have heard him wrong, there was no was Serenity would refuse to see her.

"She blames you for being trapped here." He shrugged. He tried to look innocent as well as keep up the air of indifference.

"This can't be happening," she mumbled. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen and I sure as heck didn't mean for her to be trapped on this boat. I wish you would've let us off Kaiba. Why didn't you let us off?" She looked quite panicked. He tried not to smile.

"By the time I arrived on the ship it was too late to turn around Gardner. Don't you remember that I came by helicopter?" He sneered at her back.

"Is there any way that you can at least get her home? How far are we away from inhabited land?" She asked, with her back turned towards him. She didn't want him to see the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. This was an impossible situation and now with Serenity hating her it was worse.

"We're too far out. It will take days for the ship to get back to shore and I obviously can't go back until I'm cleared. I won't rot in a jail cell."

"What about your helicopter? You could have one of your men fly her back." She offered, hope spreading through her veins.

"That has two flaws. One, I'm the only one on board who can pilot the helicopter and two, there isn't enough gas to make it all the way back from this distance." She was crumbling and he could see it. Her hands were shaking slightly, her bottom lip trembling, even her breathing was getting ragged.

"So, we are truly are your captives with no hope to go home at all?" She looked desperate. "Serenity will hate me if you don't let me talk to her, please Kaiba I need to see her and apologize."

"I can't go back on my word to her. She specifically asked to be left alone and I want to show good faith and respect that request." He was acting quite solemn. Inside he was quietly patting himself on the back for being the genius that he was.

"This is bad, this is really bad. Do you understand Kaiba? This isn't the first time I've gotten her into hot water." Maybe if she explained her desperation he would take pity on her and lead her to Serenity.

His eyebrow shot up. This was a common occurrence then? The Mutt's sister followed her into trouble before? This was all too amusing.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, trying to feign concern.

"Well, there was a time when I convinced her to…" she sat down on the bed and faced him. Was she going to spill her thoughts to this man? Then again who better to tell, he had no friends. Who would he tell? "I made her go on a double date with me."

"That's a bad thing?" He asked, not relishing the idea of hearing 'girl talk' but needing to attain enough information for his plan.

"It is when you have a great guy and you make your friend hang out with Weevil." Tea lamented, feeling worse by the minute. She thought Serenity was past that. Then again combine that with this capture and it made for the perfect reasons to hate the trouble maker who was Tea.

"Weevil Underwood?" Kaiba asked, disgust clearly in his tone.

"Unfortunately." She lowered her head. It had been the worst night. That boy would not leave poor Serenity alone. He kept touching her, trying to grab her hand, slip an arm around her and, even worse, he attempted to kiss her. Tea cringed at the vile memory. Serenity had swallowed her pride and allowed the date to go on for Tea's sake.

"I feel awful." She whispered. "I've also made her lie for me. More than once, I hate to admit. I guess I deserve this."

Kaiba walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. He picked up the book she had been reading and thumbed through it.

"You like reading?" He asked in an attempt to change the sensitive subject.

"I do, but I just never seem to find the time to indulge in it." She sighed. "I work my fingers to the bone at that lousy paper and I'm still low man on the totem pole, or should I say woman. I swear I think if I had testosterone flowing through my body I'd be higher up the food chain in that damn company." She seemed to get angry now, as opposed to the intense sorrow she felt a while ago. He took it to be a defense mechanism.

"I tend to read quite a bit myself." He looked at her, his blue eyes searching her face.

"What do you read? The Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune?" She snipped at him.

He smirked; he liked it when she was feisty. "I also read Hemmingway, Robin Cook, Shakespeare, and sometimes Koontz or King. There's so much you don't know about me Gardner." He looked at her to see how she was reacting to his attempt at 'sincerity'. He needed more ammunition in his game and her cooperation was necessary for that.

She smiled as she turned on the bed, now she was facing him. "I never knew you read other things besides business and computer information. Wow, we actually have some authors in common."

"What do you read Gardner?" He asked, leaning back on his hands. He was beginning to relax now that he had accomplished his goal.

"I read a lot of Koontz, that's why I picked this up." She motioned towards the novel that now lay on the bed. "I never read this one before."

The two fell into casual conversation about the novels that they had read. Kaiba constantly expressed his arguments as to why certain things that had been written could never happen. Tea laughed at his ideas and explained that it was fiction, not fact and if he wanted reality he should try reading non-fiction.

A grumble alerted Kaiba to Tea's hunger and he left her in order to have dinner brought to the room. She smiled as he left. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all. Aside from Serenity hating her she was actually beginning to enjoy the company of a certain CEO.

Serenity poked at the plate before her. She was so uncomfortable being here and Tea's absence just made it more unbearable. She should have insisted they stayed together at all times. If Tea hadn't wandered away from the room in the first place this wouldn't have happened.

At least one of the crew members took pity on her and gave her a change of clothes. Unfortunately, they made her feel ridicilous. The shirt kept falling off her shoulder and the sweat pants had to be rolled several times to prevent her tripping over her own feet. Still, it was better than being in 2 day old clothes. He was nice, not like Seto Kaiba. She hated him. He was always lurking in some shadow and their last encounter was still making her twitch.

She hated the food on this stupid boat as well. There might be a world-class chef on board, but she would take a hamburger or chicken fingers over this mystery stuff any day of the week. She ate her salad and the vegetables that she could identify but left the stuff covered in white gravy alone. Maybe she could ask for something simple like a sandwich, but then again, the chef had told her earlier that this wasn't a vacation.

She started poking at the meat that was covered in the white mucus-like substance.

"So Wheeler," Kaiba was rewarded with her fork being dropped as she jumped at his voice. "Is the food to your liking?" He smirked as she stared at him in terror.

"It's fine, thank you." She would try being polite to the monster and then maybe he would grace her with his absence…

He sat down in the chair next to her. He liked how he unnerved her. Were her hands actually shaking?

"I don't see why you're mad that I want you separated from your 'so-called' friend." He sneered at her. "The way I see it you should regard my magnanimous gesture as a favor." He leaned closer to her, waiting for her stammering reaction. He wasn't disappointed.

"W-why would you say th-that?" She could barely shove the words out of her uncooperative mouth.

"She has quite a few unflattering opinions of you." He waited for her to rise to his lure.

"What do you mean," she managed to whisper. She tried to tear her eyes away from his, but the deep blue of them made her feel warm and woozy. It wasn't unpleasent, as far as feelings go.

"Seems she finds you weak and a bit whiney. She was going on and on about how you complained about this great guy she set you up with." A normal person couldn't pull off the lie, but he was the master. Not only could he manipulate people but he also enjoyed it. Two girls were falling into his trap quite easily and what better way to pay back the Scooby gang than by turning the members against each other?

Serenity looked confused for a moment as she traced back to the last time Tea set her up. "You can't mean…"

"Weevil Underwood," he finished her sentence. "Seems Tea finds you a bit ungrateful for the efforts she went through to arrange the meeting."

Serenity cringed at the thought of Weevil and his bugs. He repeatedly tried to grope her; it felt like he had borrowed extra arms from his damn insect army at times. Then when he tried to kiss her she had to feign an illness to get away. If she hadn't the bile would have risen in her throat for sure and then he would have been wearing it.

Tea was mad because she had a lousy time with the slug? How could she? Worse than that…she confided in Kaiba? Since when did she do that? Since she was in his room. What were they doing in there anyway?

"It also seems that she thinks your ability to maneuver her out of certain situations lacks intelligence." He waited for her reaction and wasn't disappointed.

"She what?" Serenity was getting a bit outraged at his insight.

"She told me that you have offered to stretch the truth a bit in her defense, but you always do a lousy job at it." Her frown at his statement meant she was thinking about what he had said.

"She told you that?" Serenity asked with a catch in her voice.

"I'm sorry Wheeler that I had to be the bearer of such bad news." His eyes darkened, the trap caught its mark. Her eyes flashed with the start of anger.

"Tea is hardly a saint Kaiba…"

**A/N:** So, his plan is starting to be revealed, but there are more complications to it…


	7. Chocolate Mousse

**A/N: **Nope, no ownership implied or stated here of Yu-gi-oh…only my plot line

**Chapter 7**

**Chocolate Mousse**

Seto had quite an interesting conversation with Serenity Wheeler. He only needed to twist Tea's words a bit to make the young girl spill every bad thing Tea had ever managed to do. He found it quite amusing that the two girls were such amazing friends seeing as betrayal was so easy to come by. He smirked as he looked at the set table under the stars at the back of the ship.

The scene was set. Ever since he had dragged a waterlogged and slightly injured blue-eyed brunette out of the ocean he could hardly keep his thoughts off of her. Originally he was quite concerned that she would become very ill from the nettles, but now that all danger had passed he could think of other things. Like how amazing her legs were. He enjoyed the exploration of her body a little too much for his own taste. It was suppose to be strictly to help ease her pain but it had quite an effect on him.

He made his way back to his cabin to collect his date. She had no idea of his plan, which made it a bit delicious and naughty. He was sure she would enjoy the soft atmosphere of an evening under the stars so much that she might actually forget he was her enemy. This could be quite fun, for him.

He knocked, appropriately, and waited for her to bid him entrance. She took a minute to respond then yelled out 'come in'. He entered and was surprised to find her curled in a chair reading a book while intermittently staring out at the ocean. There must be some intelligence in her head and he liked that fact. She had practically devoured the book. She was close to finishing it.

"Are you still hungry?" He asked as she slipped a finger between the pages she was reading and closed the book. It wasn't hers and seeing as Kaiba was so anal she knew he wouldn't appreciate her dog earring the page.

"I'm famished," she smiled up at him. "Did you bring the food?" She asked a bit confused. She expected a sandwich but now wondered where it was.

"Plans have changed. You'll have to go to the food." He smirked at her confused expression. She stood up slowly. She pulled her leg out from under her and smiled up at him. It wasn't that bad, her situation, she was able to read and relax and now she would eat. Who else would have the chance to sail on a luxury liner and be pampered by none other than CEO Seto Kaiba?

"Where are we going?" She asked as he led the way out of the room.

"Would you rather stay in the room or would you rather get some fresh night air?" He asked as they walked out onto the back of the ship. She nearly gasped as she looked up into the dark night sky. She by passed the table and went straight for the railing, the ocean had taken on a dark mysterious quality, gone was the crisp blue. The sky was also quite dark, a full moon was halfway up the sky and a million stars could be seen.

"When you're this far away from civilization the sky isn't interrupted by the lights of the cities. You can see the stars the way they were intended to be gazed upon." Kaiba stated matter of factly. It was strange, he admitted to looking at the stars but he did it so analytically it was amusing. She sighed, how romantic.

"I didn't realize there were so many stars and the night sky seems to stretch on forever." She whispered as she looked at him. He wasgazing out over the water, standing quite close, she could feel the heat radiating off of his body, even though they weren't making any physical contact.

"One would think the universe was infinite on a night like this." He murmured.

"Isn't it?" She whispered, taking on his quite reverent tone.

"Where there is a beginning there has to be an end. I'm under the firm belief that if the universe is expanding, which science dictates as fact, then there is an end somewhere." He shrugged and turned to look at her.

She swallowed hard, his eyes were on her and she could almost feel his gaze on her skin as if it were something tangible. It was quite disconcerting. She knew his touch from earlier in the day and now it was haunting her. If she looked up at him, met his eyes, would he touch her? Would she want that?

"Are you ready to see what dinner is?" He asked in a tone she recognized as disappointment. Did he want her to look at him?

"I guess so," she turned, purposefully away from him, not wanting to be caught.

They walked, in silence, to the table. He pulled her chair out and she sat down as he pushed her chair in. He was being a gentleman and that scared the hell out of her. When did Kaiba ever care about someone else's feelings, let alone chair? He sat, opposite her, and placed his napkin across his lap. She followed suit. The cook came out with a large tray and placed two plates on the table, one before each of them. She smiled and thanked him as he turned away and left them to their solitude.

The food's aroma was like heaven. As she brought the first fork full to her lips she brought her eyes up and noticed Kaiba's stare. She stopped, before taking the food in her mouth and frowned at him. Why wasn't he eating? Was it poisoned?

"I'm beginning to feel like a lab specimen," she commented as she rested her fork on the fine china.

"I'm just curious to see if you enjoy your first taste." He reached across and lifted her fork. He knew she thought he was up to something. He took the first taste, off her utensil,to ease her concern. She broke out into a smile as he chewed her food.

"I wasn't afraid of being poisoned Kaiba." She giggled apprehensively, "but thanks for the reassurance." They ate their meals in relative silence. The food was delicious and watching him wasn't bad either. She blushed at her own thoughts. When they finished the cook brought out chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce.

"I don't think I could eat another bit," she admonished to her silent dining partner.

He lifted her spoon and scooped up some of the decadent dessert. He brought it to her lips, "you can't insult the cook Gardner." She was so caught up in how his eyes looked that she parted her lips for him without hesitation. Her eyes closed as she savored the velvety sweetness.

"That's delicious," she purred with appreciation. When she opened her eyes she realized he had closed the distance between them. She gasped.

"I agree," he smirked at her as he watched her lick her lips in appreciation.

"Why are you looking at me like that Kaiba?" She finally managed, albeit a little breathlessly.

"I'm considering what tastes better, you or the dessert…" He didn't give her time to respond as he sought the answer for himself. Quickly he captured her mouth with his. She attempted a quick protest, but his hand slid to the back of her neck to hold her tight to him. She slid a hand up to his shoulder to push him away, but instead dug her nails into his shirt. He slanted his mouth over hers and she quickly gave up all resistance. This was insane, she knew it, but was powerless to fight him.

He had started this game to prove that friendship was a ridiculous notion based on trust that couldn't ever be there completely. Tonight he managed to get Serenity Wheeler to betray her friend's confidence. He brought down years of friendship with a few twisted words. Tea hadn't realized the betrayal yet, but once she did he was sure there would be no more contact between them. It was almost regrettable.

He pulled away, but kept his chair close to hers. She smiled, shyly, as she looked back down at the dessert. Did she want more of it or him? She had to come up with something quick or else he might take her silence as a request for another kiss.

"Can we talk about your problems? I mean, I did come here on assignment." She asked, trying to change the subject and steer the topic onto areas where he wouldn't want to kiss her again.

"Not tonight Gardner." He answered simply.

"Where is Mokuba?" She asked, not for her story but because she genuinely cared.

"He's somewhere safe. I needed for him to be where the press wouldn't hound him." He quirked his eyebrow at her to drive the idea, of how annoyed with the press he was, home to her.

"How will you know when it's safe to return home? I know you haven't been receiving calls and your laptop has been off." She rested her elbows on the table, her chin settled on her intertwined fingers.

"I'll know." He was watching her with a cross between curiosity and annoyance.

"How?" She continued.

"I thought I said not now." He almost growled.

"Will you grant me an interview?" She smiled at him, dying to get to the problems he now faced. This would be the story that would make her a high-demand reporter. No more flower shows or obituaries…

"Gardner…steer the conversation away from my business problems." He stood up and moved away from her. The magic of the evening had been shattered. Had she been too persistent? Would he now regard her with hatred? She hoped not. She almost enjoyed the company of Seto Kaiba when he wasn't being the pompous jerk he was infamous for.

"What would you like to talk about?" She asked.

"Do you feel a need to continue talking?" He asked her as he leaned closer.

She began to see where this was going and decided that she didn't have enough mental strength to resist him. Well, maybe mental, but her pounding heart and raspy breath let her know that if he perused she would fall.

"I think I would like to go to bed." She offered.

He smirked at her statement. "Moving a bit fast aren't you Gardner? Not that I mind a forward woman…" His blue eyes were full of mischief. She decided he never looked more arousing, and dangerous.

"Alone Kaiba." She smiled at him while her cheeks flushed madly.

"You know you're being a kill joy right?" He commented but didn't push.

"I'm not the casual type."

"Are you implying I am?" He asked, mocking surprise.

"I don't know what your…er… 'habits' are." She fumbled.

"Well, we should be out here long enough for you to learn them." He stroked a lock of hair away from her eyes. She looked at him with wide eyes before she pulled away. She would not be a mere distraction for him while he was bored out here. Back in Domino he hated her. When did distain turn to interest?

"Not if we were out here forever Kaiba." She stood up, attempting to evade his touches.

"I might just have to test that theory Gardner." He led her back to her room, which had once been his. He slept in the one across from her. He needed to keep the two girls separated or else they could compare notes and then his fun would be brought to an end. Hmmm, he contemplated, what type of a dinner mate would innocent little Serenity make? Maybe strawberry mousse tomorrow night would be appropriate...


	8. Strawberry Mousse

**A/N: **I just re-read this story. I can honestly say that my writing skills have improved a whole lot. Wow… You never know until you go back and see a past product. I 'm thinking of going back and polishing it, but that may take a while. So, I shall start it here and hope you all don't go cross-eyed from the previously written chapters.

Please don't flame me for the triangle…it is called a triangle for a reason. I know most of you fall on one side or the other, there aren't many who do Azure and Silent shipping with equal enthusiasm.

Which do I prefer? I will probably never divulge (hey I need to be a bit mysterious!).

As it stands the voting is tied according to my calculations. Any new input on whom Kaiba ultimately belongs with? So, vote or deal with the results of not voting… I could go either way—seeing as how I've written him with both characters now. I shall let you all decide. So, tell me in your review…e-mail…IM…telepathic message (though I don't reccommend it), okay?

Thank you… Oh, and review please…if this story drums up no interest I will put it back on the shelf and replace the dust…sigh…

Standard disclaimer…I own nothing but the plot and my few added characters.

This is for all of you who bugged me to pay attention to this story...You know who you are...

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**_Strawberry Mousse_**

The deck of the ship was relatively quiet at this hour of the day. All the work was done and the crew had slipped into its daily routine. Without schedules and concerns the men took to card playing and book reading. Some even watched movies on the satellite system. Being employed for a man obsessed with technology had its perks. One was never bored when your boss was Seto Kaiba.

Serenity sank into the cushions of the deck's couch. Slowly she nursed her mug of green tea as the sun began to descend amidst some clouds. Her heart longed to call Joey and let him know she was fine. Despite her trepidation she knew Kaiba wouldn't harm either of them. Teá should fear her, not Kaiba—Serenity wanted to strangle the brunette who possessed hugely bad ideas.

Not only had her supposed friend dragged her on this mission, which had resulted in kidnapping, she was also betraying her on a daily basis. Teá told Kaiba about Weevil…how could she? After the date Teá had taken a secrecy oath—and now she had spilled the sordid details to Seto Kaiba? Serenity shook her head. Waiting for the alarm to wake her from sleep wasn't working. She had officially entered a waking nightmare.

"So, I see you're enjoying the sea air." It was a statement. It didn't require an answer. She sat in silence as he approached—his blue eyes scanned her relaxed form. A gentle wind blew, causing some of her fiery strands to whip softly around her face. "I think we may be in for a storm tonight, we're pulling the ship into its dock on the large island." He came closer and leaned on the railing, looking over and down into the waters below.

"There's a dock?" Serenity asked as she looked up. He was in jeans and a rather tight t-shirt, giving him the illusion of being human. The trench coat he normally wore suited him better—this made him look too appealing for her peace of mind.

He didn't turn her way, instead his eyes drifted over the horizon.

"Could I maybe get off the boat and do a little walking? I would appreciate being on something that doesn't rock." A long swallow of tea was her attempt at calming her frazzled nerves. "It's been a few days and…"

She gasped as he turned his full attention to her. The desire to cower and hide under the deep cushions was almost over whelming. Had she been insane to suggest a walk? Hell, he could easily murder her and bury the lifeless corpse anywhere on that island. Would his crew care? Would they even look? They were probably so loyal to him that they would provide the shovel.

"We'll dock in a few minutes, be ready." He walked away, disappearing through a door.

That was it? Did it mean he was going to let her go off on her own? A burst of excitement shot through her. A few brief moments of freedom were more than she expected. Quickly she raced down to her bedroom. She changed from the over sized clothes into her own. It was so much better now that they had been hand washed and dried. Wrinkled…yes, her own…so much better. These fit her, unlike the crew's clothes. Her socks and sneakers felt good, being barefoot was getting annoying.

A gentle rap on the door caused her heart to race. Putting some distance between herself and this ship was better luck than she dared dream possible. Throwing the door open, she discovered Kaiba there. A crewmember would have sufficed to see her off, why was he seeing to it personally?

"Are you ready?" He asked, arching an eyebrow. The clothes she was wearing showed off a fuller figure than he remembered. Quite possibly he hadn't noticed her curves the first day because he was so annoyed—now he was noticing.

A soft blush crept across her cheeks. Seto Kaiba was, for all intents and purposes, checking her out. This was worse than him being mean to her—she preferred mean. This was dangerous and it felt strange.

She nodded and followed him as he walked through the ship. Vaguely, she wondered if Teá would be allowed to walk freely on the island. Hopefully they would meet up. There were a lot of things Serenity wanted to get off her chest…some friend Teá turned out to be.

Kaiba walked down the gangplank and stood on the small dock. She followed, not wanting to seem over eager to get off the ship.

"I had the area dredged to allow my ship to dock. This is the perfect get away—far from civilization and free of reporters. It's ironic that I would bring the press here. Then again, it isn't by choice…is it?" Accusing blue eyes bore down on her. She flinched, much to his delight.

"If I could rewrite history I wouldn't come within 100 miles of you," Serenity assured him. "Don't worry, once it's all over I'll never bother you again…and I'm sorry."

Her sincerity struck him as odd—it was honestly heartfelt. He could sense a liar from years of experience. This girl wouldn't be able to lie if it meant her life.

She started to walk down the dock towards the island. She kept her head down, eyes fixed on where her feet would go. Hell, nothing mattered now that she was on solid ground. The sand was soft and white, large dunes were scattered with beach grass. A deserted paradise, there was no other way to describe it. Topaz waters licked the beach that stretched for miles, while seagulls screeched overhead. A smile tugged at her lips, one couldn't pick a better location for an impromptu vacation.

"So I take it you like my island?" His voice ripped her out of the trance she was in.

"It's lovely." She stopped and looked at him. "I promise I won't get lost, you don't have to waste your time on me," she mumbled.

His arms folded defensively across his chest. "You think I'm going to leave you to your own devices?" He moved closer to her and watched her shrink back. "You want solid ground which is fine, but I'll be with you every step of the way. I wouldn't want you trying anything stupid." His warm breath caressed her cheek. Was he that close?

Slowly they walked along the beach. With any other man it could have been called romantic, with Kaiba it was terrifying. A few times she thought of running, but where to? It was just a huge island with no civilization present—a phone booth wasn't part of the landscape.

"C-c-could I sit for a little bit?" She tentatively asked. They had been walking for about an hour and she was dying to sit in the warm sand. He frowned at her but halted. Taking that as a yes she lowered herself onto the sand. The boat could be seen in the distance, pressed up against the dock. The crew was moving about, seeming to connect to some electrical source. Could there be a source of electric on the island? That was interesting, she filed the information away in her mind.

Kaiba sat in the sand next to her and rested his hands behind him.

Serenity couldn't help but notice how tall he was, his legs stretched out way further than hers. Honey eyes blinked and tried to think of where she could settle her sights. Staring at him was hardly an option. The silence grew long and awkward. It would have been fine with anyone but him. Slyly she attempted to sneak a peek at him. He was watching her with heated interest; she jumped and allowed a small cry to escape her throat.

"You really are immature," he snidely remarked. "Gardner was right. She said you acted like a spooked child around men. Tell me, have you ever been alone with a man or even a boy? Oh, and please spare me your relations."

Teá had said she acted immature? Serenity blinked several times, letting the words slowly sink in. Her own, supposed, best friend had labeled her immature and childish?

"I've been alone around men," she whispered. "Tristan and Duke, they both liked me."

"Do they like you now?" Kaiba watched her body language—she was slowly closing down, tugging her knees up so her chin could rest on them—her arms wrapped protectively around her legs. He was getting to her. "Gardner told me how they liked you. It is a past tense term—meaning no longer like. Tell me, what caused them to lose interest? She has her theories, what are the realities?"

Serenity was close to tears. Since when had Teá become such buddies with Seto Kaiba? Was it out of boredom that they chose to discuss her lack of a love life? Dislike was turning into hatred for the girl whom she formally referred to as a friend. A few short days and Teá was spilling secrets and confidences to a man who had kidnapped them.

"I…they…well…" Serenity felt very strangled and weak.

"Spit it out, I'm curious if friends really do know how to psychoanalyze one another." He was being very snide, but in her state Serenity took it as genuine curiosity.

"I was too young and they were so…"

"Persistent? Overbearing? Wanting?" Kaiba paused between each adjective, waiting for confirmation. He watched in curiosity as she rested her forehead against her arm, obscuring her face.

"I was too young, they were too annoying and I had other things to concern myself with." She tried, weakly.

"So, aside from Weevil who else did you grace with your attentions?"

"I hated that night," she mumbled. "Teá totally used me. In order to date this really nice guy she needed to find a date for his friend. She told me she had no idea it would be Weevil. I never 'graced him with my attentions,' I graced the door with my attentions."

Kaiba slid next to her and leaned in closer to her ear, "So, I take it you never had a boyfriend…" This was too rich. He could hardly believe the two girls had such different personalities. Serenity was so meek and mild, while Teá was full of fire. Two approaches would be needed to see if he could toy with them completely. He had lots of time to break the barriers down with both of them—hell, he had nothing else to do until he was cleared.

Teá needed to be swept up in total romance. It would take lots of convincing for her to believe he had changed. The best approach with her was slow and steady. Serenity was different. She would be more fun to analyze. He would push her limits. Wear down her fear of men and replace it with curiosity and desire. He noticed her looking at him, and how she jumped at his touched. It might be fear, but was he good enough to change it to passion? Corruption would be amusing. He would have to prey upon her naiveté.

Serenity thought about it, could she be honest with him? What did he stand to gain with her answers? Shaking her head no, she continued to keep her head down. Her heart nearly stopped when she felt his fingers threading in her hair. He was moving her long tresses in order to see her profile, how embarrassing.

"Look at me," it was a command. Slowly she lifted her head. "Surely you can't be as lacking as Gardner claims. Though I did find it cruel the way she was laughing at how you haven't even experienced a first kiss at your age." It was a gamble on his part, if she had kissed, she would know he was lying—but he had a small inkling she was as fresh as the driven snow. The deer in the headlight look he received proved his hunch correct.

"She told you?" It was a strangled cry. "That was something she promised never to tell anyone and she told **_you_**?" Tears sprang to her eyes, how could a friend betray her like this?

"I thought it heartless and quite mean. I even tried to stop her ramblings, but she said she loves to gossip. Heck, I even threatened to take away the Koontz book she was reading if she told one more crew member of your…innocence." He faced the ocean, but continued to watch her with his peripheral vision. It was complete now—Serenity would hate Teá.

"Teá told some of the men? Maybe I should tell them about the notebook she keeps and her rating system for dates. Hardly any have a second chance, no one meets up with her standards. She always jokes that she's a snob when it comes to guys--she needs intelligence, looks, and someone with direction. It's like a twisted job interview method." Still, Serenity's heart didn't want to believe the worst when it came toTeá--deception warning bells were going off inside of her. Then again, how would he know all of these secrets? How would he know she had never had a boyfriend, never been kissed or that Teá read Koontz? Why would Teá betray her confidences?

"Actually," Kaiba looked in the opposite direction now—in an effort to conceal his grin. "I think she told most of them. I tried to prevent it from spreading to the few who didn't know, but rumors spread like wildfire in tight quarters. The crew is very close knit. I'm sorry."

Her mind reeled, all the men on the ship thought of her as a prissy, innocent child? How humiliating! Could the earth simply open and swallow her whole?

"How…how can I face them all? Oh God, I want to die!"

She felt a warm hand settle on her back and start to rub in lazy long strokes. Several passes and his hand wandered into her hair, stroking the nape of her neck. Seto Kaiba was comforting her. It was the strangest thing that ever happened, she had seen him hug Mokuba several times, but never touch anyone else.

She turned her face and looked at him. "I feel like an idiot. The men on your ship…they'll think horrible things of me. What do I do?"

"I've never had a problem like this before, and had I known you would get this upset I would never have told you." He shrugged his shoulders innocently, "I didn't want to get you upset."

Serenity bit her lower lip and stifled a sob. She went over everything in her mind. Teá was a bitch. The crew and Seto Kaiba knew she a twenty year-old with no knowledge of men what so ever, _a prissy little virgin_…she was probably the butt of many jokes. Here she was far from home and no one to turn to…no one except the coldest man she knew.

"What do I do?" She mumbled several times, she saw no light at the end of the tunnel. There was no silver lining in this storm cloud. "Please let me go home…please?"

"You know I would if I could, this type of cruelty is really unforgivable. In large part that is why I allowed you off the ship, maybe let the rumors die a bit." It was such a lie, but it was getting to her magnificently. He wanted some alone time with the girl, yes, but he didn't realize how she would make it so easy for him. "I suppose I could tell the crew that you and I are…becoming involved…"

Wide, soft eyes stared at him, all blinking had stopped.

He shook his head. "No, it's a stupid idea. It would never work and I would hate to put you in a position you've never been in before with me—a total stranger for all intents and purposes." He was laughing on the inside as he angled the bait.

Pretend to be Seto Kaiba's girlfriend? It would solve lots of problems regarding the rumors. He could defend her honor, saying she was more knowledgeable than she was. Maybe he wouldn't be as scary if he pretended to like her. The biggest problem was her lack of experience. It might also be an advantage to not be alone all of the time…maybe the crew would be nicer to her with him on her side. So many thoughts whirled around in her head. Somewhere, deep and whispering, her conscience's last attempt failed. She nodded and turned to him.

"If you don't mind I would appreciate your efforts." Her eyes went back to the sand below her, she could hardly face him at all—it was so humiliating asking him to pretend to like her to save her from further embarrassment.

He tilted her chin up and studied her face. "You'll have to kiss me in front of the crew. Couples do that."

She nodded. It was beginning to feel more like a deal with the devil than a man. She quashed the negative thoughts and tried to find the bright side. Respect among the crew, someone to keep her company and a way to get back at Teá. Perhaps her friend had started liking Seto Kaiba (not that it was even possible— Teá hated Kaiba), but perhaps there was that slim chance… It would be fun to rub the traitor's face in it. Serenity was going from dateless to dating the most desirable man in Domino, well, it was an act but…

"I've never kissed before." It was a flat statement, a scared flat statement.

He nodded. "Maybe we should attempt this before it looks awkward in front of the crew. Unless you're too afraid, I won't pressure you." This was too easy. Hell—even he was amazing himself. Push a few buttons and watch the mutt's sister dance—at the exact tempo and rhythm he commanded.

"I would rather my first kiss not have an audience," she sighed heavily and then moved, positioning herself on her knees leaning closer to him. She was scared to death. It was one thing to kiss a shy innocent boy…but Seto Kaiba was hardly a boy and had he ever been innocent?

He didn't move to approach her; he would let her set the pace—for now.

"How do I do this? I mean…"

"Just kiss me." He prompted in a lowered voice as his tongue swept over his lips.

Her heart nearly stopped, she followed his action—prepared to lose her first kiss to a complete lie. Did it matter anymore anyway? She had lost her dignity, Teá, her freedom and now she was about to lose her first kiss.

Slowly she leaned forward and watched as his eyes closed, she decided to keep hers open. Gently she pressed her lips on his. Quickly she pulled back, placing shaking fingertips over her mouth. That was it? Kisses inspired poetry, songs, paintings, so many things...by this small action? It made no sense.

She frowned as his lips twisted into a semi-smile. Serenity felt cheated in a way. Maybe for a kiss to feel really good you had to be in love, or in like.

A soft snicker brought her back to the present. She blushed deeply at her racing thoughts.

"Are you laughing at me?" She asked gently.

"No, just your inexperience," he leaned towards her, catching her chin gently.

"It wasn't what I expected," she confessed.

"That's because it was terrible," he ran his thumb over her lower lip—his eyes followed the action, concentrating on her parted lips. "You're too stiff, you have to relax. I'm not your relative—that was a kiss you would give as a greeting." He noticed her breathing was becoming more rapid. "When you kiss it's softer, more open, willing, and it lasts longer." He never thought he would coach a girl on kissing. Wait until the mongrel found out that Seto Kaiba himself had corrupted his baby sister. Not only could he kick the mutt's ass in Dueling, now he was instructing Serenity on how to kiss…how delicious.

"How do you breathe?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"You hang out with boys too much," he mused. "Obviously Gardner didn't tell you anything either, then again why would she? It would be better for her to keep you innocent and naive—less competition."

His breath against her skin was making her dizzy, why did he keep touching her face? Vaguely she felt him pulling her a bit closer.

"You breathe through your nose, that way you can kiss for a long time without breaking contact. It helps for exploration purposes." His fingers stroked up her cheekbone and circled around her ear—tucking stray strands of hair behind it.

"Exploration purposes?"

He could hardly believe how innocent she really was. Panic stricken, innocent and now completely trusting him. Everyone and everything was so easy to manipulate. Friendships could be discarded, lies embraced and now trust was placed on the enemy. How fitting. The Scooby-gang was penetrated and would soon be destroyed. Lines would be drawn and people would fall onto one side or the other. Who would believe innocent Serenity, and who would side with the cheerleader? Revenge was dished up so sweetly—this was much more fun than simply bobbing in the water alone in the boat.

"Kisses deepen when you're a couple. It proves there are feelings there and implies intimacy." His blue eyes were completely focused on her mouth now. "Don't move," he whispered as he caught her lower lip with his. Slowly he pulled it into his mouth, sucking on it gently as his tongue slipped across it until she whimpered. He had her, she was such a child, so trusting—even her own brother's worst enemy.

Slowly he pulled back, releasing her. Her eyes were closed, lips moist and apart.

"Explorations," he murmured. She nodded. "Do you want more?" He asked, knowing she would damn herself if she said yes. There would be no one to blame in this game but herself.

"Please," she replied softly.

He moved closer now, his hand stroking the soft skin of her throat—teasing her. "Open for me Serenity," he requested and she complied. Her lips parted as his touched them, he could feel her warm breath against his cheek as she fought to control her breathing—she was losing that battle. His tongue slipped between her lips, while she remained still, too lost in the intoxication of her first kiss. Gently he stroked the inside of her mouth, tasting secrets no man knew. Cinnamon and sugar, peaches and maple syrup. His hand slid into her fiery silken mane, drawing her closer. So trusting, so perfect, all his.

Breaking the kiss he looked at her, she nearly fell forward as she tried to remain in contact. Steadying herself, by placing her hands on his shoulders, she apologized. A pink flush decorated her cheeks and nose. Her eyes were half lidded as her lashes stroked her cheeks for longer intervals. Despite her inexperience there was a world of passion, which, until now, remained untapped. Funny, she hadn't removed her hands—he had no intentions of asking her to.

"More?" He questioned. She nodded. "This time explore my mouth," he growled the instruction.

She nodded again. He liked how her breathing had become ragged. Slowly he tilted her chin up and claimed her mouth again—gently, slowly, deliberately.

Kaiba waited patiently as he felt her stir against his lips this time. He was almost sure she would lose her nerve but then she dipped her tongue into his mouth. Slender fingers gripped his shoulders as he stroked and sucked—pulling soft moans and sweet little noises from her throat. Quickly she pulled back and looked at him in shock. A lazy smile formed on his lips.

"I didn't know…" Serenity plopped back into the sand as if pushed by some unseen force. Seto Kaiba, heaven help her… Feelings stirred, senses came alive, a part of her regretted that her first kiss wasn't with a man she loved, but it felt amazing and so perfect.

"Kissing has a way of making people lose their minds," he stood up and brushed the sand off the back of his legs. He offered her his hand and then helped pull her to a standing position. Serenity kept licking her lips trying to memorize the taste of him. Coffee, banana and chocolate?

He wanted to release her hand, but she was clinging. Having her doubt his intentions was not a good idea so he gave her delicate hand a light squeeze. Funny, he thought she would taste like strawberries, but the taste of innocence was much more appealing.


End file.
